Black Fleece bows on Bleecker -- can Beverly Hills be far behind?

Brooks Brothers' Black Fleece label opened its first stand-alone boutique today at 351 Bleecker St. in New York's West Village, an appropriately tiny 800-square-foot space, considering the line is designed by Thom Browne, whose appreciation for the shrunken suit has influenced the silhouette of today's menswear.

The Black Fleece by Brooks Brothers store on the corner of Bleecker and 10th showcases the entire men’s and women’s line of clothing and accessories in a space appointed in gray flannel upholstery with black-lacquered antique details. Until now, the line, which launched in 2007 as a collaboration between the staid clothier and the 2006 CFDA Menswear designer of the year, had been available in only 30 Brooks Brothers flagship stores.

Company spokesman Arthur Wayne told us that though there are currently no concrete plans to roll out additional stand-alone stores (this one was a long time in coming, originally slated to open last fall), the new space will be used as a template and laboratory for other possible stores.

But a West Coast outpost would seem like a logical next step. "Our Rodeo Drive's flagship is one of the biggest sellers of Black Fleece," Wayne said, noting that celebrities such as Zac Efron, Jimmy Fallon, the Jonas brothers and Jon Hamm wear the collection.

Until then, if you guys feel the need to get your dapper Don Draper on -- or for any of you ladies who need to Betty up -- the Spring 2009 collection, each piece worthy of a Sterling Cooper office mixer, can be found at the Beverly Hills store.

--Adam Tschorn

Photos:  Computer rendering of the new Black Fleece by Brooks Brothers store, and Spring 2009 looks from the collection, all courtesy of Brooks Brothers.

Is Lady Gaga Donatella Versace's doppelganger?

I couldn’t help but notice that in this paparazzi pic, pop star du jour Lady Gaga looks like a taut Donatella Versace.  Gaga may be going for an Elvira Hancock thing, but the result is more Mama Versace than Michelle Pfeiffer.

Her aversion to wearing a top and bottom at the same time is perfect attire for lounging by a pool, swigging champagne and being fanned by oily men in Speedos.  Very Donatella-esque.

Until they’re photographed together, I remain suspicious.

— Melissa Magsaysay

Photos:  Lady Gaga/Peter Kramer; Donatella Versace/Getty Images

Kobe out-hustles Garnett, tops NBA in jersey sales

Although a Lakers championship is still a ways off, they’ve already won one NBA contest so far this year –- the league’s most popular team when it comes to merchandise sales, and 11-time All-Star Kobe Bryant is the bestseller of all, regaining the spot he lost to Kevin Garnett last season.

Garnett, now at the No. 2 spot, is followed by Cleveland Cavaliers’ LeBron James. Pau Gasol is posting better numbers as well, robust sales of his jersey moved him from No. 15 last year to No. 6.

Despite an overall poor economy, an NBA rep tells All the Rage that jersey sales so far this season are up 40% this season.

The rankings are based on sales at the NBA Store in New York City and online at NBAStore.com from the start of the season through the current month.

A complete list of the top 15 most popular jerseys and top 10 teams follows below.

Photo: Kobe Bryant on Jan. 9. Credit: Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times

'Mad Men' costume designer to launch fashion line. Are you a Betty or a Joan?

When the admen -- and Peggy -- on " Mad Men" defined women as types for a Maidenform campaign, they branded them as a "Marilyn" (Monroe, natch) or a "Jackie" (as in O). Well, word has it over at Glamour.com that the show's brilliant costume designer, Janie Bryant, is in talks to launch her own fashion line, and so the question is: "Are you a Betty or a Joan?"

I talked to Bryant last July, and here's a taste of her personal taste in a style profile. She's meticulous about researching the looks of the '60s for "Mad Men," right down to sewing special undergarments for the ladies and men that are absolutely true to the period. (In fact, Christina Hendricks told me that that they are incredibly uncomfortable. Read more here.)

No doubt, Bryant will adapt the retro looks she creates for the show. I'm anticipating sexy pencil skirts, sweater sets and vintage-inspired dresses that have been updated just enough to feel modern and classic. Will she design for men? I can't help but wonder. I think guys would buy into the idea of inhabiting a character like the Madison Avenue scamp by wearing a slim-cut suit and skinny tie. Those high-waisted gabardine pants that Don Draper favors might be a tougher sell.

Are you a Betty or a Joan, and who's sexier? Men, weigh in too.

-- Monica Corcoran

Photos: AMCTV.com

Tory Burch has 4 eyes

It's a Tory Burch world, we're just living in it. Today, the New York designer whose printed tunics, piped cardigans and signature ballet flats have taken closets by storm, announced a license with Luxottica to develop sun and prescription eyewear. The frames are expected to land in Tory Burch boutiques and at major department stores in the fall. A home collection has to be next.

-- Booth Moore

Photo: Tory Burch. Credit: Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times

Toms Shoes and Element collaborate on shoes and skateboards

Toms Shoes have become popular with skaters, hipsters and hipsters who wish they were skaters, so it seems fitting that Toms would collaborate with a huge skate brand on a limited edition line of shoes and boards.

The Toms and Element Skateboards line launches today with a collection of five styles of shoes --three for women and two for men.  Also, Element has designed a Toms branded skateboard to push around on while wearing what else? Toms shoes.

Element will follow the Toms "one for one" rule -- for every skate deck or board bought, Element will give a board away to a child in need of some wheels. 

The shoes from the collection are fun and splashy, with stripes, flowers and graphic prints. The shoes are all $46. Skateboards retail for $150 for a complete long board and $50 for the smaller deck.

--Melissa Magsaysay

Photos: Women's floral stripe shoe and men's Element print shoe / Toms Shoes

Pregnant women in Australia get final word on Botox -- don't do it

Is it safe to get botox during pregnancy? Such a query may sound selfish and senseless, but trawl a few pregnancy forums and you'll see that it comes up now and again among moms-to-be. And when doctors advise against sushi (because of mercury) and tuna fish for pregnant women, um, how can a toxin be a good thing?

According to an article in the Sydney Morning Herald, the Cosmetic Physicians Society of Australia has advised their doctors not to use botox because it was linked to a case in which a woman's baby was born blind and deaf after using an injectable anti-wrinkle treatment. This is the first case I have actually read that makes a direct correlation between the toxin and birth defects.

If you call around to Los Angeles medical centers, you'll learn that most doctors won't do it. But it's rumored that some doctors and med spas will actually inject women if they come into the office. (It's all very hush-hush.)  Dermatologist Dr. Jessica Wu won't do it. But she does say that she gets calls from women who have just delivered their baby an hour ago and want to make an appointment to come in and get their botox -- if they don't plan to breast feed, of course. It's understandable that some women don't want their faces to fall like souffles if they have been using botox for some time. But you would think a shift in priorities would stifle some vanity.

I am in the midst of reporting a story on beauty and pregnancy. Would you get your hair dyed or nails done if you're pregnant? Got a safe alternative? Weigh in.

-- Monica Corcoran

Photo: Getty Images

L.A. Eyeworks sale

Are your beloved Wayfarers feeling played out?

L.A. Eyeworks is having a sale on its sunglasses.  Considering the usually steep price tag of its shades, the 30% to 70% off sale may be worth checking out for a new style just in time for spring.

Sunglasses - all 30% to 70% off

Thursday, Jan. 29, 10 a.m.–7 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 30, 10 a.m.–7 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 31, 10 a.m.- 6 p.m.

At the Beverly Boulevard location only -

7386 Beverly Blvd. (at Martel)

Los Angeles 

-- Melissa Magsaysay

Closet Case: Angelina Jolie, Dumpy or Daring?

I can't stop thinking about the blue Max Azria dress Angelina Jolie wore to the SAG awards over the weekend--you know, the one she had the fashion daring to wear backward, revealing her ink instead of her cleavage? She's worn Azria's gowns to several big events, including Cannes and the VH1 Critic's Choice Awards. Although certainly not inexpensive, his designs are accessible (Max Azria is the runway collection counterpart to BCBG), which seems right for right now. The ink-blue silk georgette SAG awards dress ships in March and will cost $798.

Jolie is one of the few celebrities who has developed a signature red carpet look -- drapey, goddess-like dresses that show off her tattooed shoulders, natural hair, minimal makeup and jewelry. Some have criticized the look as dowdy, but I would call it self-aware.

Jolie has to know how difficult it is to take her seriously with all the tabloid drama that follows her around. Which might have something to do with her no-nonsense style. She's using clothing to control her image, telling us she's transcended fashion and won't be at the whims of whatever designer or jeweler happens to be the highest bidder. What she will do is experiment with styling tricks, surprising us by wearing something in a different way, backward even. (Hey, there's a reason Little Edie from "Grey Gardens" became a creative muse for the ages by wearing a tea towel on her head.) That alone sets Jolie apart from the starlet pack, giving her integrity as an actress and mother, instead of just a mannequin.

And even if she didn't know she was wearing the dress backward, something tells me she doesn't really care anyway.

What do you think of Angelina Jolie's style?

-- Booth Moore

Photo: Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times

Inspiration or theft? Michael Kors vs. Tony Duquette

Hutton Wilkinson, keeper of the legacy of the late Los Angeles tastemaker and  interior, home furnishings and jewelry designer Tony Duquette, filed suit yesterday in U.S. District Court against Michael Kors. He's alleging that the New York designer and "Project Runway" judge used the Duquette name to market his resort collection of tie-dye caftans, tunics and sweaters in stores now.

The lawsuit claims Kors knowingly and willfully used the Duquette mark in conjunction with clothing without permission or license, and used photos, images and patterns from the Abrams book "Tony Duquette" in advertising and promoting the resort collection. Unspecified damages are sought.

Duquette, who died in 1999, was the first American to be honored with a one-man exhibition at the Louvre celebrating his work for clients such as the Duke and Duchess of Windsor and Elizabeth Arden. He won a Tony award for costume design for the original Broadway production of "Camelot." His Dawnridge estate in Beverly Hills is a local treasure full of pagodas and lush gardens, and is often used in fashion spreads.

Longtime business partner Wilkinson has continued to design, market and license textiles, jewelry and home furnishings under the Duquette name. Known for his over-the-top, ethnic-inspired exoticism, Duquette is still an influential figure in design, having inspired Tom Ford, Kelly Wearstler and others.

Kors has often used sunny Southern California as a touchstone for his collections. Kors spokesperson Billy Daley said the company "does not comment on pending litigation."

-- Booth Moore

Photo: Michael Kors at at New York Fashion Week in September 2008. Kirk McKoy/ Los Angeles Times